Struggling to taste things after COVID? It could that your sense of smell is to blame

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-04-24 01:00

International

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You may feel like COVID-19 left you with a lingering loss of taste, but research from the US suggests that it may actually be a loss of your sense of smell that is to blame. The research used objective measures of taste and smell in people one year after a COVID-19 infection and compared them to people who weren't infected. They found no difference in people's sense of taste but they did find some smell loss remained in nearly one-third of people who had had COVID-19, which they say could explain the taste complaints. They found infection with earlier untyped and Alpha variants were linked to the greatest degree of smell loss.

News release

From: JAMA

Long-Term Taste and Smell Outcomes After COVID-19

About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

About The Study: Taste dysfunction as measured objectively was absent one year after exposure to COVID-19 while some smell loss remained in nearly one-third of individuals with this exposure, likely explaining taste complaints of many individuals with post–COVID-19 condition in this study of 340 individuals with and 434 individuals without prior COVID-19. Infection with earlier untyped and Alpha variants was associated with the greatest degree of smell loss.

Authors: Shima T. Moein, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, is the corresponding author.

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.7818)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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conference: JAMA Network Open

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Organisation/s: Sensonics International, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Funder: Participant payments came from Sensonics International’s research fund.

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